2010 U.S. Women's and Junior Closed Champs

Press Release

Saint Louis completes the Triple Crown of chess championships next month when it plays host to the prestigious 2010 U.S. Women's Championship and the 2010 U.S. Junior Closed Championship, July 9-20.

Right on the heels of the 2010 U.S. Championship, which took place in Saint Louis last month, the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis has organized yet another unique U.S. Championship tournament experience as it will host these two prominent events simultaneously. Each championship will be comprised of a 10-player field and will feature nine rounds of tournament play. Reigning U.S. Women's Champion Anna Zatonskih and current U.S. Junior Champ Ray Robson aim to defend their respective titles this year in Saint Louis against a strong field of contenders.

"Encouraging more women and juniors to play chess are both vital goals of the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis," said Executive Director Tony Rich. "So we are very excited to host the tournaments simultaneously."

Grandmaster commentary will be provided by GM Ben Finegold and WGM Jennifer Shahade. Saint Louis resident and #1-ranked U.S. player GM Hikaru Nakamura will also provide special commentary for two days yet to be determined.

The field for the 2010 U.S. Women's Championship is as follows:
    * IM Anna Zatonskih: Defending Champion
    * IM Irina Krush: Rating
    * WGM Camilla Baginskaite: Rating
    * WGM Sabina Foisor: Rating
    * WGM Katerina Rohonyan: Wildcard
    * WIM Alisa Melekhina: Rating
    * WFM Iryna Zenyuk: U.S. Women's Open Champion
    * WFM Abby Marshall: Rating
    * WFM Tatev Abrahamyan: Rating
    * WIM Beatriz Marinello: Rating

The field for the 2010 U.S. Junior Closed Championship is as follows:
    * GM Ray Robson: Defending Champion
    * IM Sam Shankland: Rating
    * FM John Bryant: Rating
    * FM Darwin Yang: Rating
    * FM Stephen Zierk: Rating
    * FM Conrad Holt: Rating
    * Parker Zhao: Rating
    * Warren Harper: Rating
    * Tyler Hughes: Rating
    * Eric Rosen: U.S. Junior Open Champion

The 2010 U.S. Women's Championship will feature a $65,000 prize fund, the largest prize fund in the history of the tournament. The breakdown is as follows:
        1st: $16,000
        2nd: $12,000
        3rd: $9,000
        4th: $7,000
        5th: $5,500
        6th: $4,500
        7th: $3,500
        8th: $3,000
        9th: $2,500
        10th: $2,000

The 2010 U.S. Junior Championship will also feature a record-breaking prize fund. The ten participants will fight for $10,300 in prizes and will also receive a laptop computer as a part of their prize. The breakdown is as follows:
      1st: $3,000
      2nd: $2,000
      3rd: $1,500
      4th: $1,000
      5th: $750
      6th: $600
      7th: $500
      8th: $400
      9th: $300
      10th: $250

July 16 will be the player's rest day, which will feature an all-day celebration in honor of the two-year anniversary of the CCSCSL. The event will feature a block party and special appearances by top-level grandmasters and members of the professional tennis team the Saint Louis Aces including special guests to be named.

Spectators are encouraged to come down to the club to enjoy the commentary and witness the action live. Games begin at 2 PM Local time (3 PM EST) each day. Live spectators need only to purchase a club membership, which is just $5/month for students or $12/month for adults. The live streaming coverage of grandmaster commentary and play-by-play can be followed online at www.uschesschamps.com.

The Schedule of events for the championships is as follows:

Friday, July 9, 2010 Arrival Day
6:00pm Opening Ceremony, Sheldon Concert Hall, 3648 Washington Blvd
Saturday, July 10, 2010  2:00pm 8:00pm Round 1
Sunday, July 11, 2010  2:00pm 8:00pm Round 2
Monday, July 12, 2010  2:00pm 8:00pm Round 3  
Tuesday, July 13, 2010 2:00pm 8:00pm Round 4
Wednesday, July 14, 2010 2:00pm 8:00pm Round 5
Thursday, July 15, 2010  2:00pm 8:00pm Round 6  
Friday, July 16, 2010 Players Rest Day
All-Day Activities Celebrating Two-year Anniversary of the CCSCSL
Saturday, July 17, 2010 2:00pm 8:00pm - Round 7
Sunday, July 18, 2010 2:00pm 8:00pm, Round 8   
Monday, July 19, 2010  2:00pm 8:00pm, Round 9  
Tuesday, July 20, 2010 10:00am 12:00pm Possible Tie Breaker
12:00pm 5:00pm Community Day
7:00pm 9:00pm Closing Ceremony and Reception